Seroprevalence of Brucellosis Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease on Cattles at Svay Rieng and Prey Veng Province, Cambodia

LSD (Lumpy Skin Disease) is a poxviral disease with significant morbidity in cattle and belongs to the family Poxviridae and the genus Capripoxvirus and is transmitted by hematophagous arthropod vectors. Despite the typically low mortality rate, economic costs arise from deterioration in health, decreased milk production, miscarriages, infertility and harmed hides. Brucellosis disease is one of the most common contagious and communicable zoonotic diseases with high rates of morbidity and lifetime sterility. Serological tests with ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays) indicate exposure to Brucella and LSD in cattle. To identify the presence of those diseases, the research was conducted in two provinces, Svay Rieng and Prey Veng, in Cambodia, starting from July 2021 to January 2022. In the study, the 2018 Thusfield method was adopted, and two cattle were selected from 216 households in the two provinces (112 in Svay Rieng and 104 in Prey Veng). However, not all the families had two cattle, so the total sample size was 300 cattle (227 in Svay Rieng and 73 in Prey Veng). As a result, there was only one brucellosis disease case in Svay Rieng Province, while that disease was not found at all in Prey Veng. Meanwhile, LSD was higher in Prey Veng (80% of the tested cattle) than in Svay Rieng (69%). Among all of the tested cattle, 66.7% had the highest BS (Body Score = 4). The finding suggests that LSD was prevalent in the studied areas, which may cause economic losses. Thus, preventive measures should be taken properly to tackle this issue. Although Brucellosis was a rare case in the studied areas, it may spread faster, causing abortion in cattle and women. Biosecurity is needed to ensure a strict control over this disease.

Analysis and Evaluation of Microbial Contamination of Raw Beef in Supermarkets in Phnom Penh

The study focused on analysis and evaluation of microbial contamination of raw beef was designed to （1） determine the presence of foodborne pathogens in raw beef; （2） compare the prevalence of microbial contamination among the three supermarkets, and （3） evaluate the sanitary quality of raw beef products. Also, six kind of microorganisms including Total Plate Count, Total Coliform and Fecal Coliform, which represented sanitary quality and E. coli, S. Aureus and B. cereus, which determined the presence of foodborne pathogens, were analyzed. The procedures used to analyse experimental samples taken from three supermarket （in every one week for three weeks） in Phnom Penh were based on Merck＇s study in 2005. The results had shown that there were no significant differences in Total Plate Counts, Total Coliform and Fecal Coliform in all samples, and they were found in unacceptable numbers in the raw beef products. However, the prevalence of foodborne pathogens including E. coli, S. aureus and B. cereus were found in acceptable numbers. Furthermore, the samples taken from the second supermarket had the highest level of microbial contamination among the three supermarkets, while the samples taken from the first supermarket had the lowest level of microbial contamination. This experimental finding demonstrated the need for sanitary improvement in the beef retails markets and strict sanitary guideline and implementation of these practices could guarantee consumers＇ health by consuming raw beefs with the lowest risk of foodborne pathogens.